Fed Up

by KR Davis
(Bowling Green, KY)

It all started when two co-workers had a disagreement with their boss, which happens to be my husband. I was targeted as their pawn to get back at him. It started with the two teaming up even though they hated each other and talked about each other in negative ways before this incident. I was no longer told good morning. I always said good morning to them first however. So silence commenced.

Then it was subtle things such as blurps here in there about my husband without saying his name outright. Obstacles were put in my direct pathway so I would be forced to move them which I did every time until today. Today I left the box in my path, took several pics of it and made a co-worker and the office manager aware of this. Constant cursing and I am talking the f word, GD and JC and everything in the book. Mind you this is an open office setting. Then music playing that was too loud to concentrate and not to everyone's liking (but that was stopped). Gum chewing began and the popping, cracking and blowing of bubbles still continues even after his boss (my husband) asked him to quit... which, after he was gone, followed by a disrespectful comment in the open office of "Wow really, talk about being back in grade school… how immature." and I was thinking that HE was the one who was a child.

My husband has been the butt of their disrespectful comments right out in the open as I sit beside them no more than 10 feet apart. I have remained silent until now. My husband however has asked the head boss twice to address this behavior with no success. Some things said were "I am going to send an inner-office email advertising that we need a Project Manager," "he's a f***ing retard," "someone needs to start managing this program cuz we have nobody that does that," he's an inferior Project Manager, "he doesn't even know how to manage," we don't deal with managers that are on a team" and just on and on. They threaten him saying things better change around here and I am not gonna take this sh*t and I am gonna tell etc.

They also go into the head boss's office while we are not around and talk about us. I was called in and told I would be starting to do something new (writing code) because they complained that I was not doing my job. Also they take very expensive equipment and sling it everywhere right after I have put it away. I have cleaned our workshop three times and it would take a cyclone to destroy it the way they have done. Needless to say, I feel victimized and I am certainly harassed and made to feel very uncomfortable in this environment. It is never to my face. It is always when they are together, when they are alone they say and do nothing in my presence. I think this is called mobbing if I am not mistaken.

They have now painted a picture to the head boss that I am incompetent even though I have been given my tasks and complete them. They use each other to behave in an aggressive and belligerent way. The one also burps and farts without excusing himself and enjoys doing the latter when I am eating my lunch. Tell me: don't you think this is called bullying?

Comments for Fed Up

I had a situation today where a member of staff broke wind right next to me on purpose! i am a very claustrophobic person and have panic attacks when there's no clear ventilation in a crowded room... and am always running for the window when a colleague passes wind and am even gagging sometimes leading to vomiting. i found that the only reason this person farted next to me was because my other colleagues were aware of how it negatively affects me however I do not feel I can overcome this situation therefore my worklife now is really unpleasent. I really do feel that this is bullying however im not sure how to report it seeing as there is no legislation in place to ascertain "farting" as bullying. I strongly feel that this is unacceptable in the workplace and breaches your own right to breath clean air and to have your own personal space. If a person comes within one arm length of yourself then that person reacts so why is farting not invading my space!! sorry for the rant but life is not good in work at the moment, any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

Note from Anton: This certainly is bullying and an insult to your dignity. This same thing was done to me at the Calgary Herald newspaper where I worked, by the President of the union I was in after I developed software that helped improve our department's productivity. It's shocking that this kind of crude behavior is supported (and laughed about) by management and human resources instead of stopped immediately. It speaks to the pathetic and despicable people that bullies and those that support them are.